What Does “Not Filtered by License” Actually Mean? A Creator’s Guide

Whether you are designing a school presentation, editing a YouTube video, building a website, or working on a digital art project, finding the right visuals, music, or text is essential. But as you browse search engines or stock platforms, you will often encounter settings like “License filters.”

Choosing “Not filtered by license” (sometimes labeled as “All” or “Any license”) can change what you see, but it also carries important responsibilities. Let’s break down what this phrase means, why it matters, and how to stay safe while creating.

Defining the Term

When you search for images, videos, or assets online (such as on Google Images or various media repositories), the platform normally lets you narrow down results based on how you are legally allowed to use them.

• Filtered by license: The search engine only shows you files that have specific reuse permissions attached, such as Creative Commons licenses or public domain works.
• Not filtered by license: The search engine displays everything matching your search query, regardless of copyright status. This includes everything from open-source graphics and public domain photos to strictly copyrighted images owned by professional photographers, major brands, and artists.

In short, “not filtered by license” means the platform is turning off copyright safety guardrails in your search results to give you the widest possible selection of results.

The Big Risk: Why “Found on Google” Doesn’t Mean “Free to Use”

A common misconception is that if an image appears in a search engine, it is part of the public domain and free for anyone to grab. This is false.